If you are confusing the Car Craft Summer Nationals with the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals that are usually held in DuQuoin, Illinois, don’t feel too bad…I had to keep reminding myself as well. This is a new show for Beech Bend Raceway Park, having moved down from Wisconsin for this year. I kept thinking that I’d see a ton of Pro Street-style cars cruising around, but I had it on good word that this wouldn’t be the case. So, effectively, I was flying blind into whatever was going down at Beech Bend. Makes things lively, doesn’t it?

Here’s the rough take after one day of activities: if you’ve ever experienced LS Fest, the Summer Nationals are like that, only the engine doesn’t matter. And even better, a wide array of machines showed up to play and show. The events list include drag racing, autocrossing, drifting, and even a burnout contest. And not a steel-plate standstill burnout contest, either. We will have those photos for you soon, but for now, take a first look at the rides that made their way to South-Central Kentucky.

Click on a photo below to review the first gallery from the Summer Nationals!